Shelby County schools, many other local school systems to be closed again Thursday

January 16, 2018 - Taylor Gardener rolls down a snowy hill Georgia Avenue Elementary School. The second snowstorm in four days moved into the Memphis metro area Monday night and by early Tuesday morning snowfall blanketed the area, delighting students with closed schools and creating headaches for drivers on slippery roadways. (Photo: Brad Vest/The Commercial Appeal)Buy Photo

Shelby County Schools, DeSoto County Schools and other local school systems will remain closed on Thursday as cold weather and icy roads persist in the Memphis area.

Among the other school districts announcing closures for Thursday were Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland, and Millington.

Several school officials cited persistent ice on local roads. With a predicted low temperature of only 10 degrees from Wednesday night into Thursday morning, snow and ice that melted during the sunny day will once again turn hard and cause hazards, the National Weather Service said.

Warmer weather is apparently ahead - temperatures are expected to rise above freezing on Thursday before dropping again Thursday night, then rising into the upper 40s on Friday. "We should see temperatures continuing above freezing for several days after that," Maye said.

No snow or other freezing precipitation is expected in the next several days, he said.

"Special thanks to all of our wonderful students who sent me pictures of the roads in their neighborhoods," he wrote, adding a picture of a smiley face and a snowflake.

Thursday's closure will mark the 7th consecutive day out of class for local students. School was called off for bad weather on Friday, followed by the three-day Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend and snow days on Tuesday, Wednesday and now Thursday.

Reach reporter Daniel Connolly at 529-5296, daniel.connolly@commercialappeal.com, or on Twitter at @danielconnolly.